Sports Illustrated Competitive Eating articles 2004-2008
Sports Illustrated recently made its entire archive free. Some competitive eating articles from the last 5 years follow:
- 2008 – article about Wing Bowl 16
- 2007 – Rick Reilly dines with Joey Chestnut in the LA Dodgers all you can eat section
- 2007 – Nathan’s preview about Joey Chestnut
- 2007 – list of IFOCE records
- 2006 – paragraph about planned Wing Bowl movie
- 2006 – Steve Rushin column containing the “degree of a lazy susan” metaphor
- 2004 – post-Nathan’s article
Wing Bowl 16 videos
Megamunch has a backstage video of Wing Bowl 16 he recorded in the corridors of the Wachovia Center.
There are over 60 youtube videos labeled with “Wing Bowl 16” This link will bring them up.
Megamunch & Humble Bob WB 16 reports
Megamunch has written a blog entry about Wing Bowl 16 and his attempts at pre-contest tailgating. He was forced to migrate between 4 different parking lots before entering the Wachovia Center to be a part of “Big” Brian Subich’s entourage. Megamunch has a captioned gallery of his trip.
“Humble” Bob Shoudt has also posted his report about his participation in Wing Bowl 16. Like other eaters, he has questions about the counting and ranking of his first round results:
At the end of the 14 minutes, I had eaten 108 wings. I was nervous that would not be enough as these wings were much faster then the cold rocks I had last year.
We waited for a while and then a guy came around and told us if we were in the 2nd round or not. I was told no, so I picked up my stuff. My judge came by and asked where I was sitting for the 2nd round. I said I wasn’t, I didn’t make it. He said “Those guys must have eaten a _ _ _ _ load of wings (refering to the other eaters). I asked him how he scored me. He said 17 and 18s on each plate (5 full plates). I was satisfied that I did not make it as that put me at 17+17+17+17+18 – worst case = 86 plus 6 on the last plate = 92 total. I assumed 92 would not be enough. When they announced that 70 was the 10th place total, I thought they they had just made a mistake. Nope. Next year…
Link Buffet: February 11, 2008
Rich “Big Rig” Brooking attempts 32 inch pizza challenge in Charlotte
“Super Burger” constructed after reading about “Super Burger” kit on eatfeats via the New York Times Freakonomics blog.
Contest report and tips from Krispy Kreme Challenge participant
Juliet Lee updates her WriteNow page
Jill Stoler is down
Article about Jillian McCleaf, winner of top Wingette (no pictures)
Pat Bertoletti’s Wing Bowl 16 report
Pat Bertoletti has a myspace blog entry about his trip to Philadelphia to compete in Wing Bowl 16. He arrived in Philadelphia the morning of the contest at 3:15 am.
Link Buffet: February 9, 2008
Juris Shibayama answers 10 questions on IFOCE.com
U of Penn student newspaper report about the Wing Bowl
Cornell Sun report from Wing Bowl 16
philadelphia.about.com Wing Bowl 16 gallery, has pictures of Juris Shibayama, Erik Denmark, Wing Kong, Humble Bob, Wing Tut, US Male, Joey Chestnut, Pat Bertoletti and others
Gallery of Hamtrack, MI paczki eating contest
Takuya Yamamoto thinks the root beer he drank in the USA is Coke with a “drug-ish kind of taste”
Bodybuilder Isabelle Turell eats a 1 pound burger and then a half pound ostrich burger
New Poll: Wing Bowl judging
The new poll asks how you would describe the judging of the Wing Bowl.
Angelo Cataldi wraps up Wing Bowl 16
Angelo Cataldi’s blog has a wrap up of Wing Bowl 16 which closes with the possibility of excluding “pros” from Wing Bowl 17:
We all acknowledge that it would be awesome for a local contestant to win Wing Bowl, but we are carefully governed by the FCC when it comes to all on-air contests. Wing Bowl is open to all contestants, everywhere. With the quality of prizes offered, there’s not much chance that the guys who are best at competitive eating are going to stay away from it.
How can we stop the trend? Well, the best way is to develop another local eater like El Wingador or Heavy Kevvy. So far we haven’t been able to do that, though US Male and Gentleman Gerry have placed in the top five the past two years. Our other possibility is to rewrite the rules to exclude the pros. Do we want to do this for Wing Bowl 17? I’m not sure yet. My first impression is, it’s a step down for Wing Bowl as soon as we eliminate the best eaters available.
AICE would probably dispute the claim that “Wing Bowl is open to all contestants, everywhere”.
Joey Chestnut threepeats the Wing Bowl
Wing Bowl 16 results
1 241 wings Joey Chestnut
2 227 Pat Bertoletti
3 205 El Wingador
4 143 US Male
5 139 Gentleman Jerry
Brad Sciullo was #2 after the first round, but disqualified in the second for “snotting a wing”
Feb 4 update
Jill Stoler has a blog entry about attending the pre contest tailgate, but she was unable to miss work to attend the Wing Bowl
about.com has an article & gallery
Feb 2 update
AP article says the next contest for Chestnut is the asparagus contest
Dan Gross column
nj.com article about “El Wingador”
courierpostonline article and gallery
PhillySportsLine gallery
Julio “El Zorro” Davila
Article about 6th place finisher Michael Sarian
article about “Dr. Digestion”
Wing Bowl videos on insidetheiggles.com
update Wing Bowl coverage
Philly.com has videos and galleries
cbs3.com article and slideshow
6abc.com article and video
nbc10.com article and slideshow
MyFoxPhilly.com article with 6 videosand slideshow
CourierPostOnline.com article
Philly.com liveblog
Philebrity liveblog
PhillyMag blog entry
Sports Illustrated article
Angelo Cataldi galleries
The Wing Bowl radio blog is available after the jump
Read the rest of this entry »
Wing Bowl weigh-in tonight & other news
The Wing Bowl weigh in is tonight, here are the details from 610WIP.com:
The kick off to Wing Bowl 16 starts at Chickie`s and Pete`s South Philly!!
Don’t Miss the Official Wing Bowl Weigh-In LIVE on Thursday January 31st, From 5p-7p at Chickie’s and Pete’s 1526 Packer Ave, South Philadelphia. Come witness all of the pre Wing Bowl festivities with the introduction of this year`s eaters and get your first look at some of the sexy Wingettes!
For more info about the 2008 Wing Bowl Weigh-In, Call 215-218-0500 or go to www.chickiesandpetes.com
Some more Wing Bowl coverage:
PhillyMag interviews Eric “Steakbellie” Livingston
Erik Denmark blog entry about his Wing Bowl qualification
“Damaging” Doug Canavin profile
Julio “El Zorro” Davila profile
2001 Wing Bowl recollection
Police order to not open parking lots until 4am
Joey Chestnut not sure about 2008 Nathan’s
In today’s Wing Bowl column by Dan Gross, Joey Chestnut announces that Wing Bowl 16 will be his final Wing Bowl and that he is not sure about other major upcoming eating contests:
The San Jose State civil engineering major says his rigorous competitive eating schedule interferes with his studies. He also blames the sport and constantly being away from home for the recent breakup with his girlfriend of two years.
Chestnut isn’t sure whether he will defend his Mustard Yellow Belt July 4 at Coney Island, N.Y., in Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog contest. Last year he defeated Japan’s Takeru Kobayashi, bringing the title back to the United States.
The column also reports that the son of MLB reliever Tug McGraw is working on constructing Brad Sciullo’s float.
Big Brian Subich emailed the WIP odds for Wing Bowl 16:
10. Boring John 30-1
9. The Wolfman 25-1
8. Steakbellie 25-1
7. Humble Bob Shoudt 20-1
6. The Bulldog 20-1
5. US Male Dave Goldstein 12-1
4. Pat Bertoletti 10-1
3. BIG BRIAN 5-1
2. El Wingador 3-1
1. Joey Chestnut 2-1
update Philly.com has the odds for all eaters. Pat Bertoletti and Brian Subich are the #3 favorites at 10-1 odds.
Full list of Wing Bowl 16 competitors
philadelphia.about.com has a list of all the competitors in Friday’s Wing Bowl. “Randall” Patrick Bertoletti and Erik “Ted Bundy Serial Wing Killer” Denmark devised new nicknames for the contest.
Angelo Cataldi expects Wing Bowl 17
Angelo Cataldi has a preview of Wing Bowl 16 in his blog and reports that the news of his creation’s demise are greatly exaggerated:
And now it’s time for a confession. I wish this were the last Wing Bowl. I wish we could end in it one final frenzy of barbeque sauce and frilly thongs on Feb. 1 at the Wachovia Center. I wish we could announce that Wing Bowl 16 was not just the best installment in the continuing series, but the final one.
Don’t fret. That’s not going to happen. I’m pretty sure if the management at WIP had to make a choice between all of the talent on our show or this happy monster we have created, we’d be all out on the street tomorrow. In fact, Wing Bowl will be here long after all of us are gone.
The following advice to spectators is offered at the end of the blog entry:
* The parking lots around the Wachovia Center will open at 4 a.m. If you’re looking to tailgate before that, you will have to find a spot in one of the many private lots on the outskirts of the sports complex.
* The doors will open at 5 a.m.
* You must have a ticket to enter the parking lots at the Wachovia Center.
* All patrons are subject to a search.
* Bottles, cans and outside food are not permitted inside the Wachovia Center.
* Regular cameras will be allowed, but not video cameras.
Link Buffet: January 25, 2008
Wing Bowl Links
Philly area doctor to compete in Wing Bowl 16
“Wing Ding” wing sauce contest results
Steakbellie: new Wing Bowl logo and sonnet
CBS3 video of wing contest for police officers
Don “Moses” Lerman predicts Dave “U. S. Male” Goldstein to win Wing Bowl 16
Non-Wing Bowl links
Review of “Zen and Art of CE” DVD (Grade: A-)
MIT tomato sauce eating contest Saturday, part of Bad Ideas weekend
Krispy Kreme Challenge registration closed with 3000 eaters / runners
Wing Bowl 16 field finalized
Philly.com reports that Tom “Wolfman” Wolf became the last qualifier for Wing Bowl 16 when he won today’s in-studio Wing Off by eating 16 large wings in 5 minutes.
Erik “the Red” Denmark won the hot dog eating contest held at halftime of Saturday’s 76er game to gain entry. The list of ranked out of town eaters omits Juris “Dr. Big Time” Shibayama.
This will be the first all-male field since 2003. The article reports that “Sonja” Thomas did not inquire about entering.
Joey Chestnut practices in Philly
In today’s Wing Bowl column by Dan Gross, Joey Chestnut says he came to Philadelphia on Friday to practice on wings from the new supplier and visit strip clubs with competitive eating friends. There is also a section about “Gentleman” Jerry Coughlan.
The vomiting by “Sloth” mentioned in the column can be seen in a video recorded by MegaMunch.
DelawareOnline.com has an interview with Jeff “The Natural” Olson
El Wingador on WB 16 training on NJ.com
In a profile on NJ.com, Bill “El” Wingador” Simmons describes how he is preparing to make a comeback in Wing Bowl 16:
Wingador insists he competes against himself, not the field, but he knows if he’s going to make it six Wing Bowls he probably will have to out-eat Californian Joe Chestnut, who won in 2006 and 2007 and is considered the Tiger Woods of eating as the world’s No. 1 competitive chow-hound.
“I’m not worried about Chestnut,” Wingador says. “We’re friends, but he talks trash.”
Wingador goes to the gym (Bally’s) almost every morning, then begins eating, insisting he doesn’t have this routine programmed backwards.
A regular at several Gloucester County restaurants, he usually has four eggs over with scrapple and pancakes followed by a cheesesteak for breakfast. Lunch may feature a whole pizza and roast beef hoagie. Dinner could be a combination of chicken, or pork, or ham, or rice and beans, or four slices of pizza, and/or his personal favorite, spaghetti with chicken parm. Or, sometimes, all of the above.
Simmons believes he is capable of 200 to 240 wings at Wing Bowl 16.
PhillyBurbs.com has an article about WIP host / comedian “Big Daddy” Graham.
Link Buffet: January 21, 2008
HugeEaters.com reports that “Krazy” Kevin Lipsitz & Lorraine are expecting twins
The (UK) Telegraph on Eddie “Bozo” Miller
USA Today reports that “Ham & Eggs” will be commercial free
PennLive.com reports Brian Subich’s qualification for the Wing Bowl.
hot dog contest for Drexel U students, $100 first prize
32 inch pizza challenge at Paventi’s Pizzeria in Charlotte, NC
Wing sauce contest in West Chester, PA, first prize is Wing Bowl tickets
Orange eating contest in Brunei to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Wing Bowl 16 rules online
Jeff Olson noted that the rules for Wing Bowl 16 are now available on 610wip.com.
The rules state that 5 trips to Mexico will be awarded to individual entourage members:
Five (5) trips for two (2) persons will be awarded to five (5) different members of Wing Bowl 16 entourages. Winners will be chosen at the sole discretion of WIP. Selection will be based on but not limited to: overall appearance, creativity, etc. The trips will be to either Punta Cana or Cancun, Mexico.
The rules bar entry to “any member of non-IFOCE professional eating organizations, including but not limited to AICE, are also not eligible to participate in the contest.” This is different from the language in the document picked up by Bill Myers which blocked “any member of, or person affiliated with, non-IFOCE/MLE professional eating organizations, including but not limited to AICE”.
G. Shea: El Wingador vs. Chestnut like Don Rickles vs. Tiger Woods
Dan Gross’ new Wing Bowl column on philly.com has quotes from George Shea who says:
Bill “El Wingador” Simmons “is the purest wing eater I’ve ever seen. He has complete comfort with the wing, but El Wingador competing against [Joey] Chestnut is like Don Rickles playing golf against Tiger Woods.”
Shea makes the following defense of “El Wingador”: “Wingador has something none of the other IFOCE eaters have. Passion.” and then apparently contradicts himself in the following sentence: “He has a passion for this event like most other eaters, but I don’t think he can beat Joey.”
The claim appears that Joey Chestnut “competes in IFOCE events around the world”, but I believe there are 8 active IFOCE/AICE eaters who have competed outside North America, with Sonya Thomas being the only IFOCE member in that group.
The column describes the relationship between the Wing Bowl and the IFOCE: “The IFOCE grants a provisional sanction to the Wing Bowl, but does not oversee the event and is not involved with its judging.”
Dave “U. S. Male” Goldstein, who will turn 40 the weekend of the Wing Bowl, also appears in the column and will be competing for more than prizes:
Goldstein is taking pledges for Rangerforacure.info, a charity set up by Army ranger Chris Young, who battled thyroid cancer and now raises money to fight childhood cancer. Interested parties may contact Goldstein at USMaleWingBowl@aol.com
PhillyBurbs.com has a report on Michael Sarian’s victory in Saturday’s hoagie eating qualifier which claims that the field for this year’s Wing Bowl is 28, including 10 professional eaters and 18 nonprofessionals.
Slow updating for Wing Bowl videos & galleries
A backlog of videos and galleries appears to be developing on the official Wing Bowl sites. The Wing Bowl 16 page on 610wip.com has been stuck on 12 successful qualifiers for quite a while (the gallery for “Dr. Big Time” has yet to appear on it) and I do not think the videos page on philly.com has been updated this week. The only successful stunt this week I am aware of is “Big” Brian Subich qualifying by eating 3 “Fat Bitch” sandwiches, which are foot long cheesesteaks topped with chicken fingers, cheesesticks, mayo, ketchup and french fries in 7 minutes and 53 seconds.
I have not been able to obtain the winner of January 8 Wing Off in Glassboro, NJ. Please inform me if you are aware of that information.
Philly Guy: Brad Sciullo wins Wing Off
In a comment on megamunch, Pete “Philly Guy” Miernicki reports that Brad Sciullo defeated him by 4 wings at tonight’s Wing Off to qualify for the Wing Bowl. Pete also reports that a Wing Off will be held this Saturday at a 76ers game.
updatePhilly.com has information about the Saturday contest:
In a first, the WIP-AM (610) Wing Bowl will stage a qualifying round during halftime of Saturday’s Sixers-Raptors game at the Wachovia Center. Four contestants, chosen this week, will eat all the hot dogs they can in two minutes. (As a bonus, they get two tickets in the Sixers All-You-Can-Eat Section.)
Intersection of Bass Fishing and CE
Usually when competitive eating is brought up in association with bass fishing, it is about the possibility of the Sheas selling the IFOCE for a significant amount as the pro-fishing circuit B.A.S.S. was sold to ESPN for $35 million dollars. Another connection between the two sports will take place when boostedcpe/Butterbean attempts to qualify for the Wing Bowl Tuesday by eating 3 pounds of fried bass in 5 minutes. He announces his stunt in a thread on a bass fishing message board.
This makes the known upcoming stunts for this week:
Jan 14 Brad Sciullo 72 Chips Ahoy cookies & 1 gallon of milk in 2:30 (If allowed to compete due to age)
Jan 15 “Butterbean” 3 pounds fried bass in 5 minutes.
Jan 15 Adam “Hungry Hungry Hebrew” Taxin, hamburger eating contest vs. dog
Jan 18 Pat Bertoletti, 6 lbs of sour cream in 8 minutes
update BeautifulBrian.com has a page on today’s stunts which reports that “Big” Brian Subich qualified, but Brad Sciullo failed to complete his stunt.
FCC radio station contest meta-rules
In a comment on megamunch, “Will” Bill Myers says he picked up a copy of the Wing Bowl 16 rules when he competed in today’s qualifier. Rule #2 follows:
Wing Bowl 16 is an IFOCE/MLE officially sanctioned and sponsored event, any member of, or person affiliated with, non-IFOCE/MLE professional eating organizations, including but not limited to AICE, are also not eligible to participate in the contest.
The FCC’s web site has a page about regulations about radio station contest rules which states that eligibility restrictions must be publicized in some manner from the time a contest is announced:
“Material terms” include those factors which define the operation of the contest and which affect participation therein. Although the material terms may vary widely depending mentioned in a cupon the exact nature of the contest, they will generally include: (1) how to enter or participate; (2) eligibility restrictions; (3) entry deadline dates; (4) whether prizes can be won; (5) when prizes can be won; (6) the extent, nature, and value of the prizes; (7) the basis for valuation of prizes; (8) time and means of selection of winners; and/or (9) tie-breaking procedures.
In general, the time and manner of disclosure of the material terms of a contest are within the licensee’s discretion. However, the obligation to disclose the material terms arises at the time that the audience is first told how to enter or participate and continues thereafter. The material terms should be disclosed periodically by announcements broadcast on the station conducting the contest, but need not be enumerated each time an announcement promoting the contest is broadcast. Disclosure of material terms in a reasonable number of announcements is sufficient. In addition to the required broadcast announcements, disclosure of the material terms may be made in a non-broadcast manner.
Wing Bowl rules do not appear on 610WIP’s web site. The Wing Bowl 16 page has “Official Rules for Wing Bowl 16” at the bottom, but there is no link or following information. I do not know how frequently WIP has announced Wing Bowl 16 eligibility restrictions on the air. We might get a chance to learn if the FCC views those restrictions as satisfactorily disclosed if an AICE eater files a new FCC complaint.
update GJoe’s FCC complaint mentioned in a previous comment is based on being excluded from a previous Wing Bowl, not the upcoming one.
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